DEC AXP 3000-400 specific notes

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AXP3000-400 front view AXP3000-400 inside w/disk AXP3000-400 inside AXP3000-400 rear view

AXP3KA History

Apparently this machine provided file/print services for Windoze PCs until it was switched off in 1999.
I picked it up from a DEC junk pile in 2005 (!), no idea what it did in the mean time. Probably sitting around and catching dust. It was pretty dirty, but after cleaning (liquified rubber feet and such), it turned out to work OK. It ran some ancient VMS. The original disks contained "interesting stuff", so I kept them in a safe place and inserted new disks.
The machine is "real hardware", i.e. build like a tank and weighs approximately as much. In accordance with its Retro appearance I decided to install ancient OSF/1 (aka DEC Unix aka Tru64) and related soft.
I swapped the original graphics card, a PMAGB-BA, for a PMAGD-AA, because the former also works in Mips-based DECstations, unlike the latter.

Ethernet settings

At the console use 
set ethernet_type tenbt 
set ethernet_type thick
to toggle between 10BaseT and thick ethernet (AUI), respectively

S3 alternate console switch

Note that the S3 switch has the opposite defaults as for the VAXstations: UP is for monitor output, DOWN for serial console.

Firmware upgrade ...

can be a dangerous operation ! Checkout instructions (local), (web)!
Last updated: 2-Aug-2008, M.Kraemer